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Video Format (BitFlow)
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Toolbar: 
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| Menu: Acquire > Video Format
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| Script: setVideoFormat
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| Use this list to select the pixel format of the captured video. The choices in the list will depend on the pixel depth provided by the current camera configuration. If the camera generates 8 bits per channel (i.e. 8 bpp Mono or 24/32 bpp RGB, as reported in the Video window title), the Pixel Format box will display the current pixel depth with no other choice available. If the camera delivers high bit depth video (such as 12 bpp Mono or 30 bpp RGB), you will be able to choose among the following formats: 8-bit, 10-bit, 12-bit, 14-bit, 16-bit for the monochrome video and 24-bit, 30-bit, 36-bit, 42-bit, 48 bit for the RGB video. Note that if you choose one of the high bit formats, the captured image will be of the 16-bit grayscale or 48-bit RGB type, with the display range corresponding to the bit depth you have chosen.
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| By default Pixel Format will be set to the bit depth of the current camera configuration file. See Video Source for more details.
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| Lets you change the image width and height defined by the current camera configuration. Note that the valid range of the image sizes depends on the camera associated with the board. For example, if you exceed the sensor size of the camera, you will end up with a scrambled or unusable image. Also, this option may not work with complex and/or multi-tap cameras.
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| Select this check box to set the board to the external horizontal synchronization mode. This mode is only used with a line scan camera, the horizontal synchronization for which is provided by a motion encoder. The encoder generates a trigger signal at regular spatial intervals, so that the lines captured are synchronous with movement of an object in the field of view. To set the board to the internal horizontal synchronization mode, clear the Encoder check box. Note that this option is available only for camera configuration files that have an encoder support.
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| Lets you select one of three encoder inputs for an R64 board. Choose the desired input number from the list located next to the Encoder check box. Note that this option will be unavailable for any board other than R64.
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| Select this check box to set the board to the trigger mode. Depending on the camera configuration file, the board will be set to either one shot or trigger acquire mode. The one shot mode is typically used with an asynchronously resetable camera. The acquisition of a frame will occur upon receiving a signal from an external hardware trigger. The trigger acquire mode will be used for free-run camera configuration files. In this mode the trigger event will cause the board to acquire an image at the start of the next frame. Note that the trigger acquire mode will introduce a latency of up to a frame between the trigger and the beginning of the acquisition of the frame. For time critical applications it is recommended that a one shot camera file is used.
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| You can simulate the trigger event in ImageWarp by clicking the Trigger command on the Acquire menu. To set the board to the free-run mode, clear the Trigger check box. Note that not all camera files support switching between the trigger and free-run modes. It is recommended to use a camera configuration file specifically designed for the desired mode. See BitFlow SDK Reference Manual for more details.
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| Select this check box to set the board to the start/stop mode. This mode is typically used with a line scan camera in order to initiate and finish a capture of a variable size frame. The acquisition of a frame will start when the external trigger signal asserts and end when it de-asserts. You can simulate trigger events by using the Trigger command twice. The size of an image captured in the start/stop mode will depend on the time interval between two trigger events. To set the board to the trigger acquire mode, clear the Start/Stop check box. Note that this option is available only for camera configuration files designed to support the Start/Stop mode. See BitFlow SDK Reference Manual for more details.
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| Lets you select one of three hardware trigger inputs for an R64 board. Choose the desired input number from the list located next to the Trigger check box. This option is available only for R64 board set to the External Trigger mode. .
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| Lets you select the number of milliseconds to wait for a frame to be acquired. If the timeout expires, you will hear a sound signal indicating the timeout error. If you acquire images with a slow frame rate, set this option to a higher value. If you set this value to zero, the timeout will never occur.
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| Note that disabling the timeout may cause the capture commands and script functions to wait indefinitely for completing a frame. This usually happens when the signal from a camera or trigger is not coming to the board. It is recommended to use the Video window while testing new camera files and video settings, as hiding the Video window will automatically generate the timeout and cancel the capture cycle.
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| If the board is set to the Trigger mode, this option will be unavailable, as the timeout will be set to infinite.
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| Lets you select an acquisition mode. Select this check box to set the board to the asynchronous mode. In this mode the board will continuously transfer pixels into the host memory, allowing your script to process a captured frame while the acquisition of the next frame occurs. The asynchronous mode provides the fastest and most efficient setup for real-time image processing, especially if your script is directly accessing the DMA memory through image #0. However, if processing occurs at a slower rate than pixels are acquired, using this mode may result in the decomposition of images and loss of data.
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| Clear this check box to set the board to the synchronous mode. In this mode the acquisition of the next frame will be initiated upon the capture command. The synchronous mode is slower, but it guarantees the wholeness of images during real-time processing.
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| Click this button to return the options to the camera file defaults.
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